Formal and Informal Assessment of Student Learning
Name: Christopher Martinelli
I. Assignment Description/Requirements
See Project Page for assignment details.
II. Preparation / Development
1. Reflect on your current assessment practices. How have you been determining what students understand and what they are able to do?
Thinking about my current assessment practices, I believe I have been assessing students in a multitude of different ways. Both informally and formally assessing students throughout the semester, both of these methods have proven to give indications of student understanding with the content being covered. Specifically with my particular group of students, I find that students need multiple ways for learning the content,whether it be learning it verbally, using graphs and diagrams, or through experimentation, and therefore need to be assessed in a multitude of different methods.
2. Describe the concept(s) that you are trying to assess in these assignments. Include a link to the appropriate GSE(s) on RIScienceTeachers. Be sure to include in your description your definition, examples of what it is, why students have difficulty with this concept, and why it is important that you teach this topic
PS3 (7-8) - 8 Students demonstrate an understanding of motion by… 8a measuring distance and time for a moving object and using those values as well as the relationship s=d/t to calculate speed and graphically represent the data.
Within this GSE, my informal assessment includes solving for speed and average speed within the relationship of s=d/t. students will be analyzing a provided data table by solving for different values for speed, as well as graphing this data by creating a line graph. By solving for different values for speed, as well as seeing the different trends within their created line graph, students to both mathematically analyze and visually analyze differences in speed over different time intervals. For the formal assessment, students needed to solve for different values within the expression s=d/t, as well as answer questions pertaining to the various concepts related to the speed of an object in motion. I believe students may have some difficulty with these concepts because they may often label their axis incorrectly and therefore graph their data incorrectly, as well as have misconceptions that speed can only be measured in miles per hour.
Interesting. Never thought of that, but seems reasonable. - fogleman
3. (and 7) Describe an informal assessment that you selected, modified, or designed to address this concept. Summarize the instructions you gave your students and Include a link to the informal assessment here as well.
An informal assessment that I gave to my students involved practice with calculating speed from distance time-graphs. Students were receiving continuous practice for substituting values into the mathematical formula for speed, while also receiving practice reading distance and time values from a provided table. As students had to refer to the provided table for distance and time values in order to calculate speed, students were also required to graph this data into a distance-time graph. Students received practice for correctly plotting points on a graph, correctly labeling their x-axis and y-axis, as well as using their data to visualize the relationship between distance and time when the speed of an object in motion increases.
Why do you call the horizontal and vertical axes "x" and "y"? - fogleman
4. (and 8) Create a formal assessment. Describe this assessment, including concepts, types of items, and how it was assessed. Include a link to a copy of the assessment here as well.
A formal assessment that was distributed to my class during their motion and forces chapter was a quiz that covered content based on speed, average speed, as well as distance-time graphs. Out of a possible 50 points, half of the quiz was multiple choice questions and the other half was math based problems based on calculating speed, average speed, time, and distance. Students could earn a total of 5 points for each correct calculation problem, as well as earn a total of five points for each correct multiple choice question.
6. Develop the evaluation criteria (or key) for your informal assessment or link it here. This description should include the assessment's features, how it addresses different depths of knowledge, as well as an explanation of how it addresses a scientific practice related to inquiry.
I think you and Dave uploaded files with the same name, and your version go overwritten. :-( - fogleman
Along with these four speed calculations, graphs will be receive a maximum of 10 points if they include a title, correctly labeled x-axis, correctly labeled y-axis, as well as properly plotted data points from the provided data table. Depths of knowledge included in this informal assessment include recalling the correct formula that needs to be applied to each seed calculation question, as well as skills and concepts for displaying data in the form of a graph.
7. & 8. - Already addressed above.
9. For your informal assessment, upload scans of the work of three or four students. The work of each student should be on a different page. At the bottom of each students' page, you should describe the level of student understanding, e.g. high, average, or low, and describe how this is indicated in their answers. An example of how to do this is here. Note: Remember to name the pages you create carefully, e.g. "Smith S10 - High Performing" instead of "High-Performing."
High performing student work. Student correctly calculates all the different values for speed with units throughout all of the steps within the problem. Their line graph has all the points from the data table plotted correctly, a labeled x-axis for time, a labeled y-axis for distance, as well as a title. This student sample received 50 points out of a possible 50 points.
Average performing student work. Student correctly calculates the majority of all the different values for speed however did not not include units throughout all of the steps of the problem. Their line graph has all the points from the data table plotted correctly, a labeled x-axis for time, a labeled y-axis for distance, as well as a title. This student sample received 43 points out of a possible 50 points.
What does this Ss work tell you about their understanding of "average speed." Why didn't their strategy for computing average speed work? When you understand this, you may be better equipped to anticipate this difficulty. - fogleman
Low performing student work. Student does not correctly calculate the different values for speed and does not have units throughout all of the steps of the problem. Their line graph has all the points from the data table plotted correctly, a labeled x-axis for time, a labeled y-axis for distance, as well as a title. This student sample received 40 points out of a possible 50 points.
10. For you formal assessment, describe how you think it addressed the concepts you were trying to assess? How did you modify the assessment to address learning differences or special needs?
I believe this formal assessment allowed students the opportunity to display their knowledge of the content very well. This quiz assessed how well students could solve for different values for speed, time, and distance. Students were also assessed on content based on objects in motion, distance-time graphs, as well as average speed. With the quiz involving math problems for calculating average speed and speed, the formulas were given to the students from their NECAP reference sheet. Specifically with the special needs student population, modifications on their formal assessment included adjustments to both the multiple choice questions and the calculations. Certain incorrect multiple choice answers were excluded from their multiple choice questions, and certain key words were bolded within these questions in order to help students answer these questions. For the calculations, the correct formula was given for each problem so students only had to input the correct numbers in order to complete these questions.
III. Analysis / Reflection
11. Use both the informal and formal assessments to describe what you learned about what your students understand about these concepts. Use specific examples from both the informal and formal assessment to illustrate your points. What can your students do now that they could not before, and what do they still need to learn?
Regarding the calculations for solving for speed,time,distance, and average speed, I find that students sometimes rush through their work. When students do this they tend to apply the wrong formula to a specific question, confuse their units within the problems, or do not include units within the steps of their problem solving. One of the key reminders students need when solving these speed calculations is to be patient and to review their work before submitting their assessments. I think students have understood how to better organize the given information within these calculation problems, for example, circling or highlighting given numbers within a speed question and labeling that information on their papers. This has helped students improve on how to initially approach a math word problem and how to be be more organized with their problem solving skills.
12. OMIT
13. For your formal assessment only, select one student characteristic, e.g. ability, gender, age, etc) and compare the relative performance of each group. Hint: Use box and whiskers plots to compare the two groups. What do you conclude from this comparison? Why?
From this data, I can see that receiving a perfect score on this assessment was very attainable. Looking at the grades for these students, both males and females were able to score high on this formal assessment. With the minimum values being in the low seventies for both males and females, reflecting on why these scores were low , many students lost point on their quiz because of not including units within their solutions and not including all of the steps within each of the questions. Overall in this comparison, females had higher scores than males, however the upper quartiles for both groups were the same.
14. Describe any ways in which you involved students in self-assessment. How did you communicate what you learned from your informal and formal assessments to your students? What did they do with this information?
After graded assessments are returned back to students, they have the opportunity to ask any questions they may have about their performance. If there is a particular assessment question that many students did not get correct, than I review this concept with the students to make sure everyone has understanding of what the question was asking as well as what was required for an answer. While reviewing, students frequently discover where they made their error. In these situations, I find that simply talking through incorrect answers or answers that students need clarification with helps them tremendously. Reviewing my informal and formal assessments with my students allows them the opportunity to fix their possible mistakes and learn from these mistakes by not making similar errors in the future. This process is very beneficial to me as well. I receive the opportunity to evaluate if all the questions within the assessment were fair as well as the overall rigor of the assessment.
15: Most Important: Compare your objectives for student learning (both in terms of science concepts and practices) to the student learning you observed. What did you learn about your teaching based on the student performances? What will you do differently next time? Why would you make these changes? What, if anything, will you do to improve the assessment instruments?
Everyday, I set student learning objectives for the class period, which are written on board at the front of the classroom. In some instances where the topic being covered at that particular time needs multiple class periods to be completed, the student learning objectives may remain the same for multiple days. Following the grade span expectations within our science curriculum, these are the expectations for our daily classes as well as the standards that students are assessed with in both their formal and informal assessments. The daily objectives are the objectives that students are assessed with for their formal and informal assessments. These objectives are also used to assessment student learning on inquiry tasks that are performed within our class. Based on my teaching, I find that students are performing well with no academic decline from when I took over my cooperating teachers science classroom. I find that my students learn well when they have visuals to reinforce certain science content such as graphs, diagrams, pictures, and simulations. In the future I will continue these practices as well as incorporate more cooperative learning groups when students are working on informal assessments. I believe students will receive more discovery learning opportunities and also receive more peer feedback from fellow students to help them in their learning process.
Be sure to use the difficulties Ss show on their tests to modify your future teaching of the topic. - fogleman
21/24. Good job. Be sure to look at Ss incorrect answers for clues about they ways the misunderstand concepts that you've taught.
Name: Christopher Martinelli
I. Assignment Description/Requirements
II. Preparation / Development
1. Reflect on your current assessment practices. How have you been determining what students understand and what they are able to do?
Thinking about my current assessment practices, I believe I have been assessing students in a multitude of different ways. Both informally and formally assessing students throughout the semester, both of these methods have proven to give indications of student understanding with the content being covered. Specifically with my particular group of students, I find that students need multiple ways for learning the content,whether it be learning it verbally, using graphs and diagrams, or through experimentation, and therefore need to be assessed in a multitude of different methods.
2. Describe the concept(s) that you are trying to assess in these assignments. Include a link to the appropriate GSE(s) on RIScienceTeachers. Be sure to include in your description your definition, examples of what it is, why students have difficulty with this concept, and why it is important that you teach this topic
PS3 (7-8) - 8
Students demonstrate an understanding of motion by…
8a measuring distance and time for a moving object and using those values as well as the relationship s=d/t to calculate speed and graphically represent the data.
Within this GSE, my informal assessment includes solving for speed and average speed within the relationship of s=d/t. students will be analyzing a provided data table by solving for different values for speed, as well as graphing this data by creating a line graph. By solving for different values for speed, as well as seeing the different trends within their created line graph, students to both mathematically analyze and visually analyze differences in speed over different time intervals. For the formal assessment, students needed to solve for different values within the expression s=d/t, as well as answer questions pertaining to the various concepts related to the speed of an object in motion. I believe students may have some difficulty with these concepts because they may often label their axis incorrectly and therefore graph their data incorrectly, as well as have misconceptions that speed can only be measured in miles per hour.
Interesting. Never thought of that, but seems reasonable. -
3. (and 7) Describe an informal assessment that you selected, modified, or designed to address this concept. Summarize the instructions you gave your students and Include a link to the informal assessment here as well.
An informal assessment that I gave to my students involved practice with calculating speed from distance time-graphs. Students were receiving continuous practice for substituting values into the mathematical formula for speed, while also receiving practice reading distance and time values from a provided table. As students had to refer to the provided table for distance and time values in order to calculate speed, students were also required to graph this data into a distance-time graph. Students received practice for correctly plotting points on a graph, correctly labeling their x-axis and y-axis, as well as using their data to visualize the relationship between distance and time when the speed of an object in motion increases.
Why do you call the horizontal and vertical axes "x" and "y"? -
4. (and 8) Create a formal assessment. Describe this assessment, including concepts, types of items, and how it was assessed. Include a link to a copy of the assessment here as well.
A formal assessment that was distributed to my class during their motion and forces chapter was a quiz that covered content based on speed, average speed, as well as distance-time graphs. Out of a possible 50 points, half of the quiz was multiple choice questions and the other half was math based problems based on calculating speed, average speed, time, and distance. Students could earn a total of 5 points for each correct calculation problem, as well as earn a total of five points for each correct multiple choice question.
5. Develop the evaluation criteria (or key) for your formal assessment or link it here.
6. Develop the evaluation criteria (or key) for your informal assessment or link it here. This description should include the assessment's features, how it addresses different depths of knowledge, as well as an explanation of how it addresses a scientific practice related to inquiry.
I think you and Dave uploaded files with the same name, and your version go overwritten. :-( -
Newton's laws? -
Along with these four speed calculations, graphs will be receive a maximum of 10 points if they include a title, correctly labeled x-axis, correctly labeled y-axis, as well as properly plotted data points from the provided data table. Depths of knowledge included in this informal assessment include recalling the correct formula that needs to be applied to each seed calculation question, as well as skills and concepts for displaying data in the form of a graph.
7. & 8. - Already addressed above.
9. For your informal assessment, upload scans of the work of three or four students. The work of each student should be on a different page. At the bottom of each students' page, you should describe the level of student understanding, e.g. high, average, or low, and describe how this is indicated in their answers. An example of how to do this is here. Note: Remember to name the pages you create carefully, e.g. "Smith S10 - High Performing" instead of "High-Performing."
High performing student work. Student correctly calculates all the different values for speed with units throughout all of the steps within the problem. Their line graph has all the points from the data table plotted correctly, a labeled x-axis for time, a labeled y-axis for distance, as well as a title. This student sample received 50 points out of a possible 50 points.
Average performing student work. Student correctly calculates the majority of all the different values for speed however did not not include units throughout all of the steps of the problem. Their line graph has all the points from the data table plotted correctly, a labeled x-axis for time, a labeled y-axis for distance, as well as a title. This student sample received 43 points out of a possible 50 points.
What does this Ss work tell you about their understanding of "average speed." Why didn't their strategy for computing average speed work? When you understand this, you may be better equipped to anticipate this difficulty. -
Low performing student work. Student does not correctly calculate the different values for speed and does not have units throughout all of the steps of the problem. Their line graph has all the points from the data table plotted correctly, a labeled x-axis for time, a labeled y-axis for distance, as well as a title. This student sample received 40 points out of a possible 50 points.
10. For you formal assessment, describe how you think it addressed the concepts you were trying to assess? How did you modify the assessment to address learning differences or special needs?
I believe this formal assessment allowed students the opportunity to display their knowledge of the content very well. This quiz assessed how well students could solve for different values for speed, time, and distance. Students were also assessed on content based on objects in motion, distance-time graphs, as well as average speed. With the quiz involving math problems for calculating average speed and speed, the formulas were given to the students from their NECAP reference sheet. Specifically with the special needs student population, modifications on their formal assessment included adjustments to both the multiple choice questions and the calculations. Certain incorrect multiple choice answers were excluded from their multiple choice questions, and certain key words were bolded within these questions in order to help students answer these questions. For the calculations, the correct formula was given for each problem so students only had to input the correct numbers in order to complete these questions.
III. Analysis / Reflection
11. Use both the informal and formal assessments to describe what you learned about what your students understand about these concepts. Use specific examples from both the informal and formal assessment to illustrate your points. What can your students do now that they could not before, and what do they still need to learn?
Regarding the calculations for solving for speed,time,distance, and average speed, I find that students sometimes rush through their work. When students do this they tend to apply the wrong formula to a specific question, confuse their units within the problems, or do not include units within the steps of their problem solving. One of the key reminders students need when solving these speed calculations is to be patient and to review their work before submitting their assessments. I think students have understood how to better organize the given information within these calculation problems, for example, circling or highlighting given numbers within a speed question and labeling that information on their papers. This has helped students improve on how to initially approach a math word problem and how to be be more organized with their problem solving skills.
12. OMIT
13. For your formal assessment only, select one student characteristic, e.g. ability, gender, age, etc) and compare the relative performance of each group. Hint: Use box and whiskers plots to compare the two groups. What do you conclude from this comparison? Why?
From this data, I can see that receiving a perfect score on this assessment was very attainable. Looking at the grades for these students, both males and females were able to score high on this formal assessment. With the minimum values being in the low seventies for both males and females, reflecting on why these scores were low , many students lost point on their quiz because of not including units within their solutions and not including all of the steps within each of the questions. Overall in this comparison, females had higher scores than males, however the upper quartiles for both groups were the same.
14. Describe any ways in which you involved students in self-assessment. How did you communicate what you learned from your informal and formal assessments to your students? What did they do with this information?
After graded assessments are returned back to students, they have the opportunity to ask any questions they may have about their performance. If there is a particular assessment question that many students did not get correct, than I review this concept with the students to make sure everyone has understanding of what the question was asking as well as what was required for an answer. While reviewing, students frequently discover where they made their error. In these situations, I find that simply talking through incorrect answers or answers that students need clarification with helps them tremendously. Reviewing my informal and formal assessments with my students allows them the opportunity to fix their possible mistakes and learn from these mistakes by not making similar errors in the future. This process is very beneficial to me as well. I receive the opportunity to evaluate if all the questions within the assessment were fair as well as the overall rigor of the assessment.
15: Most Important: Compare your objectives for student learning (both in terms of science concepts and practices) to the student learning you observed. What did you learn about your teaching based on the student performances? What will you do differently next time? Why would you make these changes? What, if anything, will you do to improve the assessment instruments?
Everyday, I set student learning objectives for the class period, which are written on board at the front of the classroom. In some instances where the topic being covered at that particular time needs multiple class periods to be completed, the student learning objectives may remain the same for multiple days. Following the grade span expectations within our science curriculum, these are the expectations for our daily classes as well as the standards that students are assessed with in both their formal and informal assessments. The daily objectives are the objectives that students are assessed with for their formal and informal assessments. These objectives are also used to assessment student learning on inquiry tasks that are performed within our class. Based on my teaching, I find that students are performing well with no academic decline from when I took over my cooperating teachers science classroom. I find that my students learn well when they have visuals to reinforce certain science content such as graphs, diagrams, pictures, and simulations. In the future I will continue these practices as well as incorporate more cooperative learning groups when students are working on informal assessments. I believe students will receive more discovery learning opportunities and also receive more peer feedback from fellow students to help them in their learning process.
Be sure to use the difficulties Ss show on their tests to modify your future teaching of the topic. -
21/24. Good job. Be sure to look at Ss incorrect answers for clues about they ways the misunderstand concepts that you've taught.